Nutrient/Chemical Cycling
Many chemicals cycle within an ecosystem. We will explore some of the most important cycles: the carbon and oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the water cycle. Nutrient cycles typically involve three general steps:
1. Producers incorporate chemicals from the nonliving environment into organic compounds.
2. Consumers feed on the producers, incorporating some of the chemicals into their own bodies and releasing some back to the environment in waste products.
3. As organisms die, decomposers break them down, further supplying the soil, water, and air with chemicals in inorganic form. The producers gain a renewed supply of raw materials for building organic matter, and the cycles continue.
Each of you will be responsible for creating a Nutrient Cycle Foldable. The foldable must contain a visual illustration of the nutrient/chemical cycle, as well as the basic steps listed. Use Chapter 36, Concept 2 in our textbook as a reference for your research today (page 795-797).
Water Cycle
Evaporation—water turns from liquid to gas form to move from lakes, rivers, etc. to enter the atmosphere
*Transpiration—water “loss” in plants regulated by the stomata
Condensation—water vapor forms clouds by condensing on dust particle in the atmosphere
Precipitation—water returns to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Nutrient/Chemical Cycling
Many chemicals cycle within an ecosystem. We will explore some of the most important cycles: the carbon and oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the water cycle. Nutrient cycles typically involve three general steps:
1. Producers incorporate chemicals from the nonliving environment into organic compounds.
2. Consumers feed on the producers, incorporating some of the chemicals into their own bodies and releasing some back to the environment in waste products.
3. As organisms die, decomposers break them down, further supplying the soil, water, and air with chemicals in inorganic form. The producers gain a renewed supply of raw materials for building organic matter, and the cycles continue.
Each of you will be responsible for creating a Nutrient Cycle Foldable. The foldable must contain a visual illustration of the nutrient/chemical cycle, as well as the basic steps listed. Use Chapter 36, Concept 2 in our textbook as a reference for your research today (page 795-797).
Water Cycle
Evaporation—water turns from liquid to gas form to move from lakes, rivers, etc. to enter the atmosphere
*Transpiration—water “loss” in plants regulated by the stomata
Condensation—water vapor forms clouds by condensing on dust particle in the atmosphere
Precipitation—water returns to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Carbon/Oxygen Cycle (Carbon Dioxide)
Plants use CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis to make food (glucose)
CO2 + H20 C6H1206 + O2 + H20
Consumers eat producers, carry out cellular respiration to return CO2 to the atmosphere
C6H1206 + O2 CO2 + H20 + ATP (energy for cells)
*Burning of Fossil Fuels (combustion) releases CO2 into the atmosphere that has been stored for millions of years
*Decomposition—process of breaking down waste and decaying matter by bacteria and other decomposers returns CO2 to atmosphere
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Fixation—process of bacteria that live on the roots of plants called legumes (alfalfa, soybeans) convert nitrogen gas N2 into a usable form (ammonia NH3, nitrates NO3)
Plants use the usable forms of nitrogen to build cells
Consumers eat plants and create waste to return nitrogen to the soil
Decomposition—organisms like bacteria, worms, and mushrooms break down waste and decaying plant and animal matter to return N2 to the air
Carbon/Oxygen Cycle (Carbon Dioxide)
Plants use CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis to make food (glucose)
CO2 + H20 C6H1206 + O2 + H20
Consumers eat producers, carry out cellular respiration to return CO2 to the atmosphere
C6H1206 + O2 CO2 + H20 + ATP (energy for cells)
*Burning of Fossil Fuels (combustion) releases CO2 into the atmosphere that has been stored for millions of years
*Decomposition—process of breaking down waste and decaying matter by bacteria and other decomposers returns CO2 to atmosphere
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Fixation—process of bacteria that live on the roots of plants called legumes (alfalfa, soybeans) convert nitrogen gas N2 into a usable form (ammonia NH3, nitrates NO3)
Plants use the usable forms of nitrogen to build cells
Consumers eat plants and create waste to return nitrogen to the soil
Decomposition—organisms like bacteria, worms, and mushrooms break down waste and decaying plant and animal matter to return N2 to the air